


The Road to Kin no Toshi

by RayRayTail



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - The Road to El Dorado Fusion, BoKuroo Brotp, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou are Bros, Gen, Kin no Toshi, M/M, el dorado au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29027784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayRayTail/pseuds/RayRayTail
Summary: Two con-men, Bokuto and Kuroo, want different things from life. One wishes for adventure, while the other craves wealth and status. When they  inexplicably get their hands on a map to Kin no Toshi, the lost city of gold, they jump at the opportunity to achieve their goals. But along the way, they find their friendship tested and their desires questioned.This is an El Dorado AU!
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Kudos: 8





	The Road to Kin no Toshi

**Author's Note:**

> I finally finished the first chapter! I've been working on this story for a while now and I wanted to upload it on Daichi's birthday. But life got in the way and I only now found the motivation to look over and edit it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and maybe leave a comment below!

“This is all your fault,” Kuroo angrily muttered at his best friend, who sat across from him in the small prison below deck. “I knew we should’ve never gambled everything with those Dutch traders!”

Bokuto looked at him guiltily from underneath his eyelashes. “I’m sorry, Kuroo …”

“But you just _had_ to get that map, huh?” Kuroo kept going, too irritated to stop. “All that trouble of being chased by guards, chased by a boar, and being jailed by freakin’ Ushijima of all people! Did you even take the map with us?!”

“I-”

“And honestly who knows what Ushijima plans do with us now that he has us stuck on his _stupid_ boat! He’ll probably make us his slaves or something! Ugh!!!” Kuroo’s hands frantically raked through his uncontrollably spiked hair as he ducked his head low and whisper-screamed into his knees. “All my gold! Gone! Because of one stupid, lousy-” His head shot up and he glared once more at Bokuto. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into one last bet. We were on a roll and we should have quit while we were ahead!”

“I … I’m sorry,” Bokuto whined once more. “B-But I can fix it! I can! I-”

It was then that an apple fell through the grate from above that was keeping them locked below deck. Bokuto’s eyes widened as it fell in his lap. “Uhhh …”

He then heard the neighing of a horse from above. A white bordering on silver Stallion on deck sniffed at the grate, and its eyes focused solely on the apple now in Bokuto’s hands. Eventually, he trotted away in a huff, deeming it futile to try and reclaim the apple.

“Ah! Kuroo!” Bokuto exclaimed, suddenly having an idea. His eyes lit up despite his friend’s palpable annoyance with him. “I got it! Hold me up! I wanna get the horse’s attention. Maybe I can get it to help us open the hatch if I wave the apple around in its face.”

Kuroo gave him an incredulous look.

Bokuto flashed his puppy eyes, hoping to convince him. “Please …?”

After a moment of thought, Kuroo rolled his eyes and hefted himself up to his feet. “Fine. But this is still really stupid.”

“Ah! Thanks, bro!” Bokuto leapt to his feet.

After Kuroo was able to prop up Bokuto on his shoulders, the silver haired man began to wave the apple by the grate within view of the horse. “Hey, there buddy? Uh, what did Ushijima call you? Lev? Hey, Lev? You want an apple?”

He heard the horse approach.

“That’s it, that’s it.” Bokuto quietly praised. “If you want this apple, you gotta help us out, yeah? You need to give me a prybar.”

Kuroo squawked. “The horse doesn’t know what a prybar is!”

“Come on, Kuroo, just trust me. Lev is a smart guy.”

“Lev is a freaking _horse_!” Kuroo shot back. “There’s no way he’s going to get us a-”

It was then that a set of keys were dropped down straight past them and Lev neighed at the two from above.

Kuroo and Bokuto stared in surprise.

“It’s still not a prybar,” Kuroo grumbled.

Kuroo Tetsurou and Bokuto Kotarou were both honest-living Japanese men. That is to say, they were honest with themselves and followed their own whims. In Kuroo’s case, he lived for money and wealth. He wished to live as luxuriously as the Tokugawa Emperor himself did, wearing the finest silks, eating the grandest meals, partaking in the most talented lovers, and most importantly, drowning in gold. He played with loaded dice and lied as easily as he breathed (most of the time). The only setback to his schemes was his untrusting face, which tended to curl into an expression that concerned others. But Kuroo couldn’t help it, that was how he smiled!

On the other hand, Bokuto craved adventure. He wanted fun, exploration, new discoveries, and so much more. But living in Japan wasn’t enough. Unlike his best friend who cared mostly about riches, Bokuto needed to see the world, or at least get a glimpse of it beyond the country that he called home. That’s why he had dragged Kuroo down to the port that morning. It was why he was willing to roll dice with the Dutch traders that had sailed into the harbor a couple of days ago. It was why he begged Kuroo to let them play one last game against them in order to get the Dutch’s map to the mysterious Kin no Toshi, city of gold. It was why he hadn’t been all that upset when they were caught cheating and thrown into the brig of Ushijima’s main ship that was now leading a fleet who knows where. He wanted to see where the journey would take him.

Unfortunately, Kuroo didn’t think that way in the slightest and Bokuto felt absolutely horrible for roping his best friend into his adventure-addicted problems. He was willing to do anything to make it up to him.

And that was exactly why the two of them were tiptoeing around on the deck after escaping the brig (thanks, of course, to Lev the Horse). Bokuto kind of wanted to see where Ushijima planned to take them, but he owed it to Kuroo to escape anyway. As he silently shut the grate leading below deck, Kuroo was busy preparing the escape boat, also known as the somewhat pitiful rowboat that sat abandoned next to some conveniently placed supplies.

Bokuto tried to quietly rush over towards his friend to help him rope up the boat in order to lower it into the deep ocean below, but he was stopped by Lev, as the beautiful creature nudged his nose at him.

“Ah, thanks so much, Lev, old boy,” Bokuto said, spinning around to pat the stallion’s elongated face. Lev continued to sniff at him. “Listen, if we can ever return the favor-”

“Bo!” Kuroo whisper-screamed, now fully seated in the rowboat and holding on tight to the rope keeping him dangled above the water. “Come on! We gotta go!”

Bokuto glanced regretfully at Lev once more before jumping into the rowboat and helping Kuroo lower them into the ocean. Above them, Lev whinnied, his large head peering over the railing.

“Bo, he’s making too much noise!”

“I know, I know, I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

Kuroo paused for a moment. “Bo, did you give him the apple yet?”

Bokuto’s eyes widened, and he reached into his baggy white shirt, pulling out the apple from earlier. “Oops, my bad.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes.

“Hey, boy!” Bokuto waved the apple in the air before throwing it back over the railing. “Go fetch!”

With that out of the way, the two of them continued to slowly lower the boat, that is, until a flash of red and a large white object zoomed right on passed them and splashed into the water.

Kuroo blinked. “What in the-”

“Lev!” Bokuto cried out, his eyes trained on something in the distance. Somehow the apple had trailed right back down, and the horse had been quick to follow after it. Now, the stallion cried out in terror as it struggled to tread through the harsh waves of the ocean. “I’m coming, buddy!”

“Wait, no Bo, don’t-”

Unfortunately, Bokuto was already diving into the water and swimming over to assist the horse. Left by himself, Kuroo lost control of the rope and the boat dropped down harshly into the water. Why did it feel as though the moment they escaped, the ocean decided to become cruel and angry? The soothing waves that had rocked the ship to sleep just a few minutes prior, were now attacking all three of them with a vengeance.

Hoping to save his friend, Kuroo quickly grabbed hold of the rows and paddled his way towards Bokuto and the horse. “Get in, Bo, before-”

He didn’t get to finish as one of the boat’s following Ushijima’s main ship floated by, creating a large a wave that pushed Kuroo overboard and flipped the boat upside down. Trapped underneath the boat, Kuroo looked over only to find the horse stuck right alongside him. “Ugh,” he growled into the air pocket that the arch of the boat created.

Fortunately, he was able to spot a rope with one end loose and the other securely attached to one side of the boat. His eyes brightened with his newly formed idea and he grabbed hold of the loose end, dragged it underneath the horse (trying his best to dodge the stallion’s strongly lashing hooves), and began his ascent. Once his head popped out of the water, free from the boat, he spotted Bokuto loosely hanging onto the wooden contraption.

“Bo! I got an idea!” he panted as loudly as he could over the roaring of the sea. “We’re gonna flip the boat over!”

Bokuto nodded quickly and climbed aboard the flipped over boat, followed quickly by Kuroo.

“Okay, on the count of three, pull back the rope,” Kuroo ordered once they both had a firm grip on it. “One, two, thre-”

The both of them gasped as the next boat in line sailed by them, creating yet another large and unforgiving wave. “Three! Three!” Kuroo screamed, hoping the momentum of the wave would help flip them over.

The duo pulled with all their might, tipping backwards into the ocean. The boat was finally positioned upright, the horse stuck to it thanks to the rope wrapped around him. Immediately, Bokuto and Kuroo’s heads broke past the surface of the water and they swam back aboard their little lifeboat.

Wheezing and gasping filled the now silent air. Ushijima’s fleet continued to thankfully sail away.

Bokuto leaned back against the bottom of the boat and Kuroo followed. “Did, did any of the supplies make it?” the brunette gasped out, too tired to turn his head.

Bokuto turned to look. “Uhhh …”

Kuroo sighed.

It was days, or at least, it felt like it. They tried to ration as much as they could from what little food they had left, but it wasn’t enough. Here they were (possibly) days upon days later, and they were starving men without any hope of reaching land. The horse wasn’t any better off. As Bokuto and Kuroo sat, dejectedly, back-to-back, Lev’s neck rested on the side of the boat, his eyes drooping dangerously.

“Hey, Kuroo …” Bokuto’s raspy voice broke through the silence. He and Kuroo each dangled an arm loosely out of the boat, letting the gentle water caress their hardened hands. “Did you ever think it would end like this?”

“… The horse is new,” Kuroo replied, his voice just as raspy.

Lev rustled beside him in response.

Bokuto nodded, drawing a weak smirk onto his face. “Any … Any regrets?”

Kuroo paused for a moment. His eyelids slid shut and a warm darkness overtook his vision. “I have a few. But I just want you to know Bo …”

“…What?”

“I’m not mad at you. Not anymore. No matter what,” Kuroo sniffled. “You’ll always be my best bud.”

Bokuto tried to blink away the tears that began to form in his eyes. “Y-You’ll always be my best bud, too. I’m sorry for getting us into this mess …”

“Don’t apologize anymore,” Kuroo murmured.

“But I … I …”

“I forgive you. I told you. You’re my best bed.”

Bokuto leaned his head until it knocked into the man behind him. “Kuroooooo,” he wept.

“Bokutooooo,” Kuroo cried back.

The two descended into hysteria, tears streaming down their faces and mouths letting out defeated wails. The horse lying beside them released an empathetic neigh, as though he were crying right along with them.

It was then that the boat rocked and shuddered to a stop. Still sobbing, Kuroo and Bokuto didn’t notice until the latter brought up his dangling hand to reveal it now full of sand.

Kuroo’s drowsy eyes did a double take as he finally realized what was going on. He sat up straight, leaning over the boat at the beautiful golden-looking grains below them. “Bokuto.”

“Yeah, Kuroo?” the other was able to ask through his tears.

“Bo! We’re on land! We made it!” Kuroo was jumping out of the boat in an instant.

Bokuto’s eyes widened and he too took in his surroundings before doing the same. “Hell yeah, laaannnnddddd!!!!” He cheered, allowing for his shoes to sink into the sand.

The horse also stepped off of their wooden prison to greet the beautiful miracle before them. Feverishly, the three of them knelt to the ground and began kissing the golden grains below them. “Sweet land!” Kuroo cried out in between kisses.

“AGH!!!!” At Bokuto’s sudden scream, Lev and Kuroo looked up. The silver-haired man was now standing upright, staring in horror at the skeletal head before him with a sword stabbing into it.

Kuroo’s eyes widened hilariously and the horse trotted behind him for protection. Beyond that one skull were two more sets of bones buried halfway in the sand.

“Uh, okay, maybe we should just get back on the boat,” Kuroo suggested. Lev’s elongated head nodded vigorously behind him.

Bokuto was mid-nod himself when something caught his eye. Silently, he gazed ahead at a rock that strangely resembled an eagle just a couple feet away. After a moment of slow recognition, his hand quickly shot into his baggy white shirt and he proceeded to pull out the map that they had previously bet their gold on. The map to Kin no Toshi.

There, plain as day on the large, rusty piece of paper was the same eagle-shaped rock he was seeing before him. “Oh wow, this-! Kuroo! Look! This is it!”

Kuroo ran up to him and peered over his shoulder.

“This is exactly the rock on the map!”

“How in the world do you still have that map?!” Kuroo exclaimed. “Everything else was taken from us by Ushijima’s crew … we swam through a sea storm! We-You-” His eyebrows furrowed. “Your baggy shirt doesn’t make any sense! It defies science!”

“Kuroo, that doesn’t matter right now,” Bokuto complained before waving the map in the air. “This! This is what matters! We can go there, to Kin to Toshi!”

“Bo, do you not see those skulls right there?”

“Maybe they’re the remains of someone who got eaten by a shark and they just, um, washed up on shore?”

“No. That’s … no. Something is out here Bo. And we’re not equipped for any kind of battle.”

“We’ll be _fine_ ,” Bokuto responded. “We’re strong and resourceful. And hell, you’re super smart.”

Kuroo shyly smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t say _that_ , but-”

“We couldn’t save the money from all the gambling. But we did save this!” Bokuto kept going. “That’s gotta count for something.”

The taller of the two shook his head. “Listen, whatever is in that jungle is a dangerous unknown entity. You couldn’t pay me enough to set foot in there.”

Bokuto blinked. “Maybe I can.”

Kuroo scoffed. “With _what_ money?”

“Kin no Toshi’s money.”

Kuroo’s eyebrows furrowed once more.

“Bro, it’s the city of gold!” Bokuto told him animatedly. “Gold would be everywhere! Their buildings are probably made with gold, hell the people maybe even _breathe_ gold.”

Silence.

“Come on, Kuroo. You get your money and I get my adventure! It’s a win-win,” Bokuto tried to reason, flashing his puppy-eyes at him, and forming a pout on his lips.

Kuroo’s look of contemplation grew strained. “Argh, no not with the face! I can’t say no to the-” he sighed. “Fine! Let’s go find Kin no Toshi.”

“YAY!” Bokuto cheered, grabbing hold of the sword in the skull below him and swinging it around brazenly. “Come on, Kuroo! Let’s follow that trail!”

Kuroo glanced around at the wall of wilderness in front of him. “What trail?”

Bokuto quickly leapt forward and slashed wildly at the leaves and other plant-life obstructing his view. “The trail that we blaze!”

Once cut, the green fell to the ground to reveal a large boulder blocking their path.

Bokuto hurriedly turned to another set of vines and leaves, before pointing. “ _That_ trail that we blaze!”

Kuroo rolled his eyes, trying to keep the amused grin off his face. He caught sight of the horse trying to trot back to the boat and quickly grabbed ahold of his reigns. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re coming with us.”

The two of them then climbed aboard the annoyed horse and made their way into the jungle.

One journey through a vast jungle with poisonous plants, carnivorous reptiles, long-lasting rainstorms, and clothes-stealing monkeys, as well as a one musical number, later, the trio made their way to the last remaining landmark on the map. It was supposedly a large stone structure, with the image of two men in strange garbs riding some kind of horse-like creature.

Bokuto was trying his hardest to look out for the stone, he really was, but he couldn’t for the life of him stop peering over Kuroo’s shoulder to stare at the strange hard-shelled animal that sat on the juncture between Lev’s neck and back. The creature stared back at him from its position practically in Kuroo’s lap.

“Okay, it’s killing me,” Bokuto finally said. “What is up with that thing?”

Kuroo glanced down at the creature sitting in front of him. “This thing is an armadillo.”

“Okay … so what is the armifellow doing here?”

“Armadillo,” Kuroo corrected. “And it’s not my fault this little guy keeps following me around! I tried getting it to leave when we were resting back by that cave, but it just wouldn’t budge!”

Bokuto scrutinized it before shrugging. “Well, if he’s gonna stay with us, I’m going to name him. Hmmm …” he scratched his chin. “I think I’ll call you Ku-chan.”

“You are _not_ naming this _strange_ _creature_ after me!”

“So, you admit it’s weird.”

Kuroo ignored him. “ _I’m_ going to name him something. How about … Kenma?”

Bokuto slowly nodded his head. “His weird armor does look pretty polished.”

“He probably takes better bathes than you do.”

“Low blow, bro.”

“I’m just saying-” Kuroo immediately cut himself off as the view of a large waterfall descending into a misty pool greeted them. The beach that surrounded it was a bit drab with harsh dirt and a rocky shore. The only thing worth noting was the strange-shaped rock that protruded from the ground.

As the two men approached, they stared in wonder at the mystifying look of the place.

“I think that’s it,” Bokuto murmured as he peered up at the stone blocking their path.

“This thing?” Kuroo inquired, still inspecting it.

“Yeah …”

“So, you’re telling me,” the brunette-haired man’s voice grew cold, “this is it? This is the last place the map takes us?”

“I-” Bokuto checked the map one last time before looking back at the disappointing rock. “… Yeah.”

Kuroo’s harsh laughter broke through the echoing sounds of water from the fall, dripping into the dark pool below. “So, Kin no Toshi was some kind of … big, stupid _rock?!”_

“I’m so sorry Kuroo,” Bokuto whimpered. “I thought- I thought-”

His voice cracked and he hiccupped away the sobs that threatened to escape his mouth. He usually wasn’t so easy to break, but it was such a letdown. After everything they went through, all that was waiting for them was a misty waterfall and a giant stone.

Hearing the regret and sadness in Bokuto’s voice, Kuroo spun his head around and faked the anger away. “It’s okay, Bo. It’s fine. I’m not that upset … we tried, didn’t we? And plus, you had your own little adventure going through the forest!”

“B-But your _gold!_ ” Bokuto cried out. “I wanted to make it up to you f-for everything!”

“Hey, hey,” Kuroo frowned. “Didn’t I already tell you that I wasn’t angry about all that stuff anymore?”

“Yes, you are,” Bokuto shot back. “I know you, Kuroo. I know you were just trying to make me feel better, and you still are.”

“Look, Bo. I mean it, it’s okay.” He paused. “Maybe, maybe we’re missing something? Like, is there a riddle on that map somewhere? It’s possible there’s a secret entrance even! It’s a city of gold! Wouldn’t it make sense that there’s a secret entrance?!”

Bokuto sniffed. “I … I guess …”

“That’s the spirit!” Kuroo yanked on Lev’s reins, motioning the horse forward and passed the large stone. “For example, there’s a large waterfall right here. It’s possible that there’s a passageway right under …”

His eyes suddenly widened upon looking in the direction of the waterfall and spotting a lone figure approaching in the distance.

“Uhhh …”

“Kuroo?” Bokuto leaned forward and stared. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know but I think they’re bringing the calvary!” He exclaimed as he noticed more people rushing behind the first one.

Kuroo tried backing Lev up behind the rock but it was too late. The first figure they had spotted, ran behind the large stone and collided right into Lev. It was a man, probably a little bit smaller than both Kuroo and Bokuto, wearing nothing but a long colorful cloth that surrounded his waste and trailed down around his legs. He had fluffy black hair, sharp gleaming eyes, and a beautiful symmetric face.

Lev staggered at the sudden collision and, upon noticing the pretty man now lying on the ground before him, he neighed in fright. Kuroo and Bokuto replicated the horse’s noise with a wail of their own at the stranger’s appearance. Lev was unfortunately uncontrollable, even as Kuroo came to his senses and tried to sooth him. The armadillo in Kuroo’s lap, now named Kenma, bopped up and down with the horse’s frantic movements.

All the stranger had time to do was widen his eyes in surprise before he was being dragged to his feet by two other men with a couple of others behind them. While they weren’t all necessarily dressed the same, the theme of less clothes was still very present with the rest of them. Unlike the pretty man who had run into Lev, the others wore armor along their shoulders and arms, accompanied by shorter cloths that only flowed down above their privates. Their impressive thighs, abs, and other muscles were on full display, just enough for Kuroo and Bokuto to feel a little threatened. Oh, and the spears. They had spears as well.

The newcomers finally turned their attention on to the two men, the horse, and the armadillo in confusion and wariness. They quickly surrounded them, pointing their weapons in their direction. The two who had roughly picked up the pretty man were now focusing on Kuroo and Bokuto instead, giving the pretty man time to pick up the round circular object he had previously dropped when colliding with the horse.

Lev, eventually stopped his frantic kicking and neighing, backing up against the large stone in fear. Kuroo and Bokuto glanced around at the scene in front of them before their gazes eventually landed on the pretty man.

The pretty man froze as everyone faced him. Quickly he shoved his round object at Kuroo, who reflexively caught it. However, not knowing what it was, he immediately threw it back. The pretty man grabbed it again before once more throwing it into Kuroo’s face. The two of them continued to go back and forth, Bokuto and the rest of the men staring in wonder and confusion before eventually the round object was thrown too hard into Kuroo’s head. The lean Japanese man jerked upon the impact and quickly rested a soft hand over his forehead in order to soothe the pain.

Bokuto blinked and watched as the pretty man bent down and hurriedly grabbed the offending round object for the last time, a look of resignation on his face. He carefully held it in his arms as though it were precious, piquing the owl-like man’s interest even more.

“Is this … uh … is this your rock?” Kuroo tried to break the ice, ignoring the confusing beauty in front of him to address the probable soldiers still pointing their weapons at him. “We were, uh, just looking. We’re tourists …!”

When no one spoke back, Bokuto leaned in and whispered. “Do you think they understand you?”

The warrior in front, who appeared to be the leader, narrowed his eyes causing both the men on the horse to tense up. After a moment of intense scrutiny, the leader of the warriors took his spear off of them and motioned them forward, past the rock.

“Um …”

When they didn’t move right away, the man grunted and nodded his head towards the waterfall. The rest of his men crowded around them. Two tall ones in particular, one with scraggly black hair, and one with straight strawberry blond locks, each grabbed one of the pretty man’s arms.

Kuroo was able to get Lev to follow the warrior leader, but as he and Bokuto’s gazes observed the pretty man now in custody, they were beginning to think that maybe the pretty one was a criminal of sorts …

… Like them.

The warrior leader took them over a cluster of rocks. He then glanced back to make sure they were following before waltzing straight through the waterfall.

Kuroo and Bokuto’s eyes widened and Lev was quickly nudged to follow by the men behind them. Once they had passed through the wall of water, Kuroo grimaced. The cold liquid dripped from his body and his wildly styled hair flattened. He brought his hands over his chest and sneezed. The armadillo on his lap echoed his movements and let out a little sneeze of its own. Bokuto chuckled at the display, not all too concerned with his flattened hair, knowing he could spike it back up once it was dry no problem. It was weird like that.

“You look like a drowned cat,” Bokuto snickered into Kuroo’s ear, causing the other man to hunch forward and groan.

They then followed the leader over another trail of rocks before being led to a nicely sized boat. Their eyes roamed over the hidden cave they were now in. Even as they were led to sit in the boat, they couldn’t help but unabashedly take in the cold rocks and huge archways that hung over and around the little stream they were settled on top of.

Just across from them and in front of Lev, the pretty man was harshly shoved into the boat. He opened his mouth to say something, but one harsh look from the warrior leader had the pretty man reluctantly closing his lips and glaring at the two Japanese men before him.

Bokuto tried to wave, but the pretty man was quick to look away, pulling his round object closer to his chest.

The warrior leader hesitated for a moment, his eyes boring heavily into the pretty man’s head, before he eventually clambered into the boat behind them. Another man, the strawberry blonde, began paddling their own boat forward, causing Bokuto and Kuroo to tense up once more.

They had no idea where these strange people were taking them, and the longer they sat in the boat, the more questions popped into their heads.

Who were these men? Why were they chasing the pretty guy? Where exactly were they taking them? Were they able to understand them? Did they even speak the same language? If they did, wouldn’t they have said something by now?

It wasn’t until sunlight shined through a canopy of vines in the distance, that the two men halted in their frenzied thoughts. They weren’t necessarily facing the source, but the light reflected off of the round object in the pretty man’s hands, painting it gold and successfully catching the two thieves’ attention. The pretty man in front of them desperately tried to hide the object further under his arms.

It was then that the thick greens parted almost like magic, letting the two boats through without any trouble. Bokuto and Kuroo turned their attention away from the pretty man in order to face forward. The scene before them immediately had their mouths gaping open and their eyes widening in surprise.

Kuroo stuttered. “It’s … it’s-”

“Kin no Toshi,” they both recited at the same time.

The stream they had been floating down parted into a small river. Along the river were streets and buildings shining bright and golden in the sunlight. People, mostly tan and wearing similar styles of clothing as the pretty man, stopped in their actions to stare as their boats whisked past.

Mysterious plants dangled about along the river’s edge or decorated the streets in colorfully made pots, and the surrounding trees stood tall around the city like a shield. Two large pillars spat out water into the river on each side, splashing them a bit with cool spring droplets. Bokuto’s eyes wandered over a group of fluttering butterflies, before drifting down into the water in time to see ginormous fish swimming about beneath them. His eyes would have widened even more if that were possible and he swatted at Kuroo to look. Kuroo and the armadillo in his lap glanced down and immediately recoiled at the sight.

The boat filled with the warriors pulled ahead of theirs and led them to the end of the river where hundreds of people openly gawked at their arrival. Behind them stood three large pyramids of gold, glistening ever so beautifully.

Kuroo could honestly cry.

Once the boat of warriors pulled up to the grey stoned dock, the warrior leader was quick to leap out and rush into a side temple. Another man at the shore, with silver-hair and soft eyes, watched the leader go before taking off in the opposite direction. They were the only people rushing around it seemed, as everyone else was too busy watching Kuroo, Bokuto, Kenma, and Lev exit the boat.

The pretty man trailed behind them, keeping his figure behind Lev and out of sight.

Eventually the sea of people parted and the rest of the warriors beckoned the Japanese men forward. Kuroo and Bokuto were quick to obey, not entirely sure what lie ahead of them.

“Bo, if they try to kill us, eat us, or anything else, I just want you to know it’s been fun pal,” Kuroo whispered solemnly.

Bokuto frowned. “I don’t think-”

He cut himself off as another round of warriors with spears crowded along the platform in front of them, as well as the steps leading up to it. Front in center were two men. One came from the left with swirly brown hair, gleaming eyes, and a sly smirk, wearing a turquoise cloth over his shoulders and chest, as well as around his waist and over his thighs. A white piece dangled in front to cover his more private bits. The other man was a lot more simpler looking in his appearance with softer brown eyes, short cropped brunette hair, and rippling muscles visible due to his lack of clothing. The only cloths present were of orange and black colors, cascading around his legs like a skirt.

While the first man wore a blue necklace and gold earrings, the shorter and sturdier one wore not just a gold necklace and earrings, but also a golden tiara dipping over his forehead and around his short locks of hair.

Kuroo found them both equally beautiful in their own ways, but quickly squashed his thoughts in an attempt to refocus on the situation at hand.

“Citizens!” the tall, pretty one bellowed at the crowd. He raised his arms up in the air, allowing them to see the long, gold, bracelets on each of his wrists. “Did I not predict that the gods would come to us?!”

Kuroo and Bokuto sucked in a breath at this. _What gods?_ They both watched as the citizens before them turned their way. Following their movements, the two of them glanced behind themselves but saw nothing but the way they came. Turning back, they flinched as the tall man waltzed down the stone steps and approached them.

“My lords,” he spoke softly. “I am Oikawa Tooru, your devoted high priest and speaker for the gods.”

He bowed fluidly, missing the look of utter confusion that Bokuto and Kuroo threw at each other.

“Uh …” Kuroo began. “… Hey.”

“Hiya!” Bokuto said a little more enthusiastically.

It was then that they noticed the shorter man fall into step beside the high priest. “And I am Sawamura Daichi, the chief of our city. What may we call you?”

While both men before them seemed open enough, the shorter one (the _chief_ ) did not bow as the high priest did. Instead, he politely held out his hands in their direction, waiting for their answer.

The Japanese men hesitated for a moment before Bokuto responded, “I am Bokuto-”

“And I am Kuroo,” Kuroo finished, stopping his owl-like companion from finishing his name. If these people thought they were gods, and if they wanted to keep up the act, it was probably best to keep their names as simple as possible like a real god. “They call us Bokuto and Kuroo.”

Bokuto nodded his head vigorously. 

Oikawa, looking incredibly pleased, spoke, “We have been anticipating your arrival for some time now and-”

He was cut off by the chief who asked, “My lords, how long will you be staying in Kin no Toshi?”

Despite his pleasant smile, Kuroo suspected this man didn’t necessarily want them there. Did he perhaps, not think they were gods like the rest of them? Kuroo withdrew that thought quickly, however. He had no idea for sure. Maybe this chief guy wasn’t all that fond of whatever gods they were supposed to be in the first place.

It was then that High Priest Oikawa’s eyes glinted in recognition and he pointed at the figure hiding behind Lev. “Aha! I see that you’ve caught our little thief!” he cheered, stomping over to the pretty man, and yanking him into the open. He brought him back to where he was previously standing and looked back at the new arrivals. “What would you have us do with him, my lords?”

“Oikawa-” the chief tried to intervene but was halted by the annoyed look the high priest shot in his direction. The two gazed at each other warningly but were interrupted when the pretty man finally spoke up.

“No, no! High Priest Oikawa, you’ve got it all wrong.” As the pretty man’s excuse rang in Bokuto’s ears, he couldn’t help but think that his beautiful figure was nothing compared to his lovely voice. “I am no thief. The gods sent me a vision to, uh, bring them tribute from the temple in order to guide them here.”

It was a lie. It was definitely a lie. Bokuto and Kuroo glanced at each other, breaths hitched in their throats, not sure what to do.

The pretty man bowed his head then. “My only wish is to serve the gods.”

Oikawa’s eyes narrowed at the man in his grip before turning back to Bokuto and Kuroo.

Before the two could come to an agreement with their gazes, Bokuto broke their eye contact and confidently waved a hand dramatically in the air. “Release him … uh, don’t you think?”

Kuroo tried not to cringe at his acting.

Oikawa reluctantly let go but received a somewhat cocky grin from the chief beside him. “See? Akaashi would never rob the temple for no good reason. I _told_ you.”

Oikawa’s eyebrows twitched at the chief and his shoulders stiffened. “You-” He then froze and released a deep breath of air. Turning back to the pretty man, he ordered, “ _You_ will return the tribute back to the temple.”

As Oikawa pushed the man, Akaashi, away with the round object in his hands, the chief stepped forward. “My lords why now do you choose to come visit us?” he asked.

Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Ugh. You do not question the gods!”

“T-That is right!” Bokuto exclaimed. “Do not question us!”

Kuroo sweatdropped but tried to present himself as confident, with strong arms folded over his chest.

Unfortunately, Bokuto continued. “For we have awesome a-and terrible power! That of which you don’t wish us to unleash!”

“Actually, we do!” Oikawa responded earnestly, his fists clasped together in excitement.

Bokuto and Kuroo froze. “… You do?”

“Of course, we do!” Oikawa reiterated. “Please, present your wrath to this nonbeliever!” he implored, gesturing towards Chief Sawamura.

Bokuto and Kuroo’s eyes widened. “Uh, we, uh, we need a minute,” Kuroo quickly grabbed Bokuto and they scurried backwards, closer to Lev and Kenma who sat unworriedly on top of him.

“You complete, _idiot_ ,” Kuroo growled silently at his longtime friend. “I can’t believe you-you- _ugh!_ Bo, I love you, but you’ve royally fucked us over this time.”

“I-There-uh,” the other man stuttered. “I’m so sorry. B-But you’re super smart, bro! I bet you can think of something.”

“Bo, I literally don’t see how we can get out of this one,” he sneered. “Why don’t you ever listen to that little voice in your head that tells you to not do something????”

“I said I was sorry. I know, I know, this is all kinds of fucked up,” Bokuto murmured. “But there’s gotta be a way to prove our power or who knows what they might do to us!”

Kuroo scrunched his face up and sighed into the sky before facing Bokuto once again and whispering, “Fine. Let me think of something …”

After a moment of silence, Bokuto spoke up. “We don’t have that much time, bro.”

“I know.” Kuroo pinched his nose in intense thought.

In the distance, a light rumbling was heard. But the two Japanese men ignored it in favor of focusing all their attention on the problem at hand.

Over the growing roar of the ground, Bokuto muttered, “Bro, that high priest guy looks a little concerned.”

“I got it.”

The rumbling continued to get louder.

“They’re all staring at us.”

“Okay, I get it. Now, stop talking.”

The ground beneath them began to quake.

“Bro, Kuroo, the priest is coming this way. M-Maybe we should just tell the truth?”

“No. We’re not doing that. Now, shhh!”

“Bro! He’s almost here! We should just admit-”

“SHHH!!!”

“Kuroo, _hurry!”_

“I _am_ , just shut up!”

The rumbling was soon overbearing.

“KUROO!!!”

“I said, _SHUT UP!!!!”_

Suddenly the ground halted and the people gasped. Kuroo and Bokuto both shot their heads up in time to see dark plumes of smoke suddenly recede quickly back into the once rumbling volcano in the distance.

The two of them stared in shock at the lucky timing. There was no way that Kuroo had _actually_ stopped a volcano from erupting simply by shouting, “shut up” … right?

Whatever the case, they looked back at each other in disbelief before both fabricating looks of certainty and presenting themselves back to the chief and high priest with arms wide open, just begging for praise.

Oikawa was the first to respond, right hand fisted together and launched into the air with a cheer. The rest of the warriors and surrounding citizens followed his example, cheering and shouting at the display, before falling to their knees and bowing into the ground.

Bokuto was first to step forward, approaching the chief and high priest with pride. Chief Sawamura hesitated before doing a little bow of his own. His movements were quickly followed by Oikawa who exclaimed, “O mighty lords! Come, let me show you to your temple!”

Bokuto slyly grinned back at Kuroo. “A temple. Niiiceee,” he whispered. Kuroo tried to release the nerves at war within him and rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics.

With a reluctant Sawamura in tow, Oikawa led them past the platform and up the steps of the first and largest pyramid of gold and stone. At first, the two men turned gods couldn’t help but stare at the architecture in amazement, but eventually they found themselves too occupied with gasping for air. The flight of stairs was too long and despite their athletic prowess, they weren’t exactly prepared for the unusual exercise.

Lev wasn’t doing so well behind them either. He panted and whinnied as he ascended upwards, internally cursing the armadillo who sat idly on his back, not breaking a single sweat.

Finally, the group made it to the top, and before the chief and high priest could notice, Kuroo and Bokuto quickly righted themselves so as to not look as though just moments ago they were dying. Lev didn’t even try to hide it. Huffing and puffing on shaky legs.

“Right this way, my lords,” Oikawa said as both he and Sawamura pulled back colorful blankets to reveal the inside of the temple.

The two men bowed as their (fake) gods strolled past them and as he did so, Kuroo couldn’t help but envy their lack of exhaustion.

They entered a beautifully large room with artistically shaped pillars, stones stacked with pillows upon pillows, and at the center, a shallow rectangular pool.

Still standing at the entrance, Oikawa once again spoke, “To commemorate your arrival in Kin no Toshi, I propose a reverent ceremony at dawn~!”

“Ah, and I could prepare a glorious feast for you tonight,” Sawamura added with a placating smile.

Oikawa’s eyebrows twitched a bit. “Which would you prefer, my lords?”

Bokuto and Kuroo, not entirely sure, gave each other a look. “Um … Both,” Bokuto replied.

Kuroo nodded. “Both is good.”

The two nodded reluctantly and bowed. “My lords,” they said in way of goodbye before closing the curtains over the entrance and leaving.

After a moment of silence and taking everything in, the two Japanese men eventually gave each other one last look of relief before cheering loudly.

“HEY HEY HEY!!!” Bokuto exclaimed, jumping into Kuroo’s arms, and causing the other man to stagger backwards.

Kuroo didn’t mind one bit as he squeezed his best friend tightly. “I can’t fucking believe-”

“We did it!!!!” Bokuto screamed into his left ear before leaping off of him to go hug Lev. “We _DID_ it!!!!!”

“We’re fucking _alive_!” Kuroo shouted back. “And we’re in fucking KIN NO TOSHI!!!”

“YES!” Bokuto squished his face against the silver horse.

“It’s- We- We can load up a boat of gold, Bo! If we play this right, if we keep pretending to be gods, we could get a bunch of gold and get out of here! I- no … _we,_ ” Kuroo amended his statement. “We’d be _rich!”_

“I know, isn’t it amazing?! This place is amazing!!!!” After finishing his hug with Lev, Bokuto even patted Kenma on his small head. “This is _everything_! This is-”

He immediately froze upon noticing they weren’t alone in their new residence. There, peeking out from behind one of the pillars, was the pretty man from earlier who had apparently stolen from one of the temples. He was observing them with rapt interest, eyes gleaming at their display.

“EEEKK!!!!” Bokuto squealed in surprise, grabbing Kuroo and pulling him into his arms. Kuroo blinked in surprise before he followed his friend’s gaze and spotted the other man as well.

“You’re … You’re …” Before Kuroo could get any more words out, Bokuto was gesturing at him, head held high.

“Depart, mortal!” he ordered. “B-Before we strike you with a, uh, lightning bolt!”

Instead of leaving or cowering in fear, the man instead drew forward. His mouth at first seemed to be pulled into a straight line but as Bokuto continued his tirade, the man’s lips twitched upward.

“Beware the wrath of the gods! Begone!” Bokuto waved his arms around wildly.

The man only raised an amused eyebrow.

“Begone, I say!”

Nothing.

Kuroo sighed. “Bo, I think he knows.”

“What?”

“We’ve been caught,” he reiterated.

Bokuto glanced back at his friend before staring deeply at the man before them. He was just as pretty as Bokuto remembered, but this time, he appeared more relaxed rather than frantic and surprised. Without meaning to, the owl-like man blushed.

Facing them head on, the pretty man finally spoke, “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Uh-huh …” Kuroo frowned.

“It’s true. I already told the high priest that ‘my only wish is to serve the gods’,” he smirked. “Remember?”

Kuroo’s arms crossed over his chest and he raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “And how are you going to ‘serve the gods’ exactly?”

Bokuto understood completely why his best friend was so on-guard, but he himself couldn’t help how fast his defenses seemed to crumble in this beautiful man’s presence. His eyes never strayed from him, hoping to hear his melodic voice once more.

“If you two want to take the gold,” the man said, “then you don’t want to get caught, and I can help with that.”

“Is that so?” Kuroo’s suspicious tone did not waver and Bokuto unthinkingly elbowed the slightly taller man in the stomach. In response, Kuroo frowned. “Bo! Seriously?”

“What?!” Bokuto cried defensively. “He’s willing to help us out!”

“We don’t _need_ his help.”

“Really?” the man before them gave them a knowing look. “So, you know the proper rituals for blessing a tribute, the holiest days on the calendar, and of _course_ you know all about Xibalba, right?”

“Xibalba?” Bokuto repeated.

Kuroo grimaced. “Okay, so maybe we do need your help. What’s in it for you?”

The man shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing too serious. All I want is to go with you when you leave.”

“Yes! Of course!” Bokuto was quick to agree.

Kuroo, however, was still very reluctant. “Nu-uh, no. Just because you were able to seduce my best friend with your pretty face and your smokin’ hot body a-and your sweet voice does _not_ mean I’ll agree to your terms so easily. Bo, a word.” The taller brunette snatched his friend away.

Once they were a few feet farther, Kuroo growled lowly, “No.”

Bokuto bit his lip. “But-”

“ _No._ ”

The man’s teary eyes widened.

“No!”

He then popped out his bottom lip and whimpered.

“UGH, _fine_!!!!”

Bokuto leapt into the air and cheered. “Thank you, bro! I mean it, you won’t regret this one bit!” He then ran back towards the pretty man who had watched in silent amusement. “We’d love to have you on board! My name’s Bokuto Koutarou and my friend over there is Kuroo Tetsurou! What’s your name?!” he practically shouted into the other man’s face.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind, which secretly impressed Kuroo a bit. “It’s nice to meet you Bokuto-san. My name is Akaashi Keiji.”

“Akaashi, huh? That’s really beautiful,” Bokuto commented in wonder.

“Thank you.”

“Alright, alright, enough with the flirting,” Kuroo said, coming up to Bokuto’s side.

“If that’s what you want,” Akaashi responded with a small grin. Before anyone could reply, he elegantly scrambled over to a large chest and opened it. He pulled out fabrics of different colors, as well as strange headwear that neither Japanese man had seen before. “Now, you’ll have to wear these for the ceremony,” Akaashi explained, shoving it all into their hands.

“Wha-”

“The public’s waiting, good luck.” Akaashi then exited as quickly and as quietly as he appeared.

Once he was sure that the other man was gone, Kuroo muttered, “That guy’s going to be trouble.”

“Trouble …”

Kuroo quickly spun his attention towards his best friend. “Bo, _no_.”

“But Kuroo, he’s so … beautiful and perfect. Did you hear his voice?! And the way he was able to just come up with a lie on the spot to fool the high priest!!!” Bokuto gushed.

“That’s not necessarily a good thing,” Kuroo said. “It just proves that he’s really good at lying. What if he were planning to betray us or something?”

“Why would he betray us? We’re his ticket out of here,” Bokuto reasoned.

“I guess you’ve got a point.”

“Right?!” Bokuto exclaimed, taking off his clothes to put on the new garments for the ceremony.

“Just … Just please be more wary of that guy, just in case,” Kuroo pleaded. “And also, to make it easier, try not to uh, look so much.”

Bokuto huffed at his friend who was struggling to take off his pants. “And what is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“All I’m saying is that Akaashi is totally your type. He might distract you from our plan of, y’know, being gods and _not_ getting killed.”

“Aw come on Kuroo! That may be true, but at least allow me to _look_!” Bokuto whined. “I know for a fact you were ogling the high priest and chief earlier, don’t you deny it!”

Kuroo blushed. “So what?! They’re hot! You agree with me!”

“Well, of course. But the only one I really care about is Akaashi,” Bokuto admitted honestly.

Kuroo blinked at how open he was being about it. “… Okay, fine. Just be careful alright?”

“Don’t worry Kuroo. I may have fucked up a lot recently, but I don’t plan on making this any worse than it already is.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Kuroo grinned.

“Besides, this is going to be great!”

“How, exactly?”

“We’ll be living like kings for a few days!”

Kuroo sweatdropped. “Jeez. We’re really pretending to be gods right now, aren’t we? This is gonna be kinda tough …”

Bokuto chuckled. “It’s always so fun to see you nervous for once. Just relax and follow my lead!”

“Your lead?” Kuroo quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes! Seriously, I know you don’t always think so, but right now I know what I’m doing,” he said as they both finished hooking up the colorful garments hanging from their hips to their knees. He and Kuroo both put on matching cloths over their shoulders that were akin to bibs in their design, before slipping on the band of leaves and gold on top of their heads.

Bokuto continued as he pushed Kuroo forward and out of the temple, “All you have to do is smile and act godly.”

Kuroo slipped on his new gold earrings just in time, before Bokuto moved him past their curtain door to reveal a crowd of people at the foot of the temple. Bokuto was quick to flaunt a confident smile and flex his ever-impressive muscles. Kuroo, on the hand, wasn’t so smooth. He tried to smile, but he felt that his normal Cheshire grin was taking the place of the honest one he had been trying to display.

Luckily, the people below either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Instead a band began to play loudly, and the citizens cheered at their presence.

“Time to rock this,” Bokuto laughed as he raced down the temple stairs.

Kuroo hesitated and noticed as Lev trotted to his side. He glanced at the horse and the armadillo that still lounged on its back.

“Wish me luck you guys,” he muttered before following Bokuto down.

He was going to seriously need it.

* * *

Kuroo really should have known that a party of such magnitude really was only going to end one way: with him and Bokuto both drunk off their asses.

As the morning sun peaked slightly into the temple through the light fabric door, Kuroo blinked himself awake. Bokuto was still snoring away peacefully beside him, his arms squeezing the large pillow in front of him. Kuroo himself had awoken with his head stuffed between two smaller pillows, as was his usual habit whenever the two of them were able to sleep on a real bed. He yawned a bit, noticing that neither of them had changed out of their party clothes.

Jeez, he could barely remember anything that happened last night …

“My lords.”

The appearance of Oikawa popping his head over them, as well as the sudden sound of his voice caused Kuroo and the once asleep Bokuto, to scream in surprise.

“Good morning!” the light brunette exclaimed happily. “It’s time for the bestowing of your tribute~!”

While Bokuto was still trying to properly wake up, Kuroo couldn’t help but notice something was off about the high priest today. His cheerfulness, unlike yesterday, was more falsified. It was evident in the overly large smile, the highly raised eyebrows, and the strain of his cheeks. It looked painful to try so hard to be happy.

Kuroo blinked and suddenly the high priest was running out of the room with a shout of, “Your transportation is awaiting your arrival~!”

Once he was gone, Kuroo frowned. “What’s up with him?”

“Huh? What?” Bokuto scratched his chin. “Something’s wrong with Oikawa?”

“Yeah, I think …” Kuroo frowned. “I think he’s upset.”

“Huh?! Why would he be upset?! Did … Did we do something wrong?” Now Bokuto was fully awake, open concern plaguing his usually sunny features.

Kuroo shrugged. “I don’t know. But let’s get ready at least. We shouldn’t keep them waiting too long.”

The two of them scrambled out of bed and into the clothes they had arrived in. Quickly they each attempted to brush their teeth in their little center pool with any fabric or plant they could find, before eventually exiting the temple.

With a small wave to Lev and Kenma, the duo closed the flap of the temple entrance and were greeted with a large palanquin.

It was then that they were greeted by four warriors and their leader that they had met on the first day. “My lords,” the leader bowed. “We will be taking you to the place of the ceremony. Please, hop in.”

He gestured towards the palanquin and swiftly the two men got on, wondering warily what was in store for them next.

**Author's Note:**

> I've already started working on the second chapter so hopefully it won't take long to post an update. 
> 
> In any case, thank you for reading! Stay tuned!


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